peck at

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Brian’s home sits on a dirt lot, where several chickens peck at the weeds next to a table under a large tarp that blocks the sun during hot summer months.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

Baby birds, for example, will see the red area on the mother's beak and peck at it.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2023

The ducks follow a daily routine: In the morning, they go to the vineyards to prevent crop damage, and in the evening they return to their paddocks to peck at pellets of nutritious bird food.

From Reuters • Jan. 16, 2023

Not content with the bird feed on offer, one of the rainbow lorikeets took a peck at the long-time German leader’s hand, prompting a theatrical scream from Merkel.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2021

He hoped so, because here, being a minister’s son mattered a whole lot, and pretending that it didn’t matter to him was starting to peck at his soul.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt